Bach The Musical Offering
and arrangements of organ trio sonatas

Florilegium
Ashley Solomon (artistic director, flute, recorder)
Emilia Benjamin (violin) Reiko Ichise (viola da gamba) Jennifer Morsches (cello) James Johnstone (harpsichord, organ)

Baroque music has a loyal following at Wigmore Hall, filled upstairs as well as down. Florilegium is firmly established in the field with a vast discography on Channel Classics.

Of the trio sonatas in the first half, one transcribed from an original for organ (teaching material for one of his sons) made one marvel at the contrapuntal intricacies that organists take in their stride with two hands and two feet.

The Musical Offering makes a wonderful sequence, but is perhaps overlong to take at a stretch (the long-legged can become cramped in the Wigmore Hall's less generous seating since its refurbishment) and the concert ran late.

The permutations of King Frederick II's theme, sometimes a little hidden, are fascinating to follow. Not really intended as a concert work, better to be enjoyed on the group's recording, with similar fill-ups [Channel Classics CCS 14598].

Peter Grahame Woolf